What is Taqwa?

Imam Ibn Juzayy al-Kalbi said in his dictionary of terms from the introduction to his tafsir:

“Taqwa’s meaning is fear, clinging to obedience to Allah, and abandoning disobedience to Him. It is the sum of all good.”

And in his commentary, he said:

Concerning its benefits derived from the Qur’an, and they are thirteen:

1. Guidance, because of His words:
“guidance for the muttaqin (the people of taqwa)”;

2. Help, because of His words:
“Truly, Allah is with the people who have taqwa“;

3. Close Friendship [with Allah], because of His words:
“Allah is the close friend of the muttaqin“;

4. Love, because of His words:
“Truly Allah loves the muttaqin“;

5. Covering over [of wrong actions], because of His words:
“If you have taqwa of Allah He will make for you a discrimination and He will cover over for you your wrong actions”;

6. A way out from unhappiness, and provision from where one does not expect, because of His words: “Whoever has taqwa of Allah He will make a way out for him and provide him from where he does not expect”;

7. Facilitation of affairs, because of His words:
“Whoever has taqwa of Allah He will make ease for him in his affair”;

8. Full covering over of wrong actions and magnification of rewards, because of His words: “Whoever hastaqwa of Allah He will cover over his wrong actions and magnify a reward for him”;

9. Acceptance of actions, because of His words:
“Allah only accepts from the people of taqwa“;

10. Success, because of His words:
“Have taqwa of Allah in order that you might succeed”;

11. Good news, because of His words:

“For them [i.e. people of taqwa] there is good news in this world and in the next”;

12. Entrance into the Garden, because of His words:
“Truly, there are for the people of taqwa with their Lord Gardens of bliss”;

13. Salvation from the Fire, because of His words:
“Then We will save the ones who had taqwa“.

1 – To earn the pleasure of Allah SWT.

“Whoever Allaah SWT wants good for, He gives him fiqh (understanding) of the Deen.” [Bukhari]

2 – To gain entry into Jannah.

“Whoever traverses a path in order to gain knowledge, then Allaah SWT will make the path to Jannah easy for him.” [Tirmidhi]

3 – To gain higher ranks.

“Allaah will exalt in degree those of you who believe, and those who have been granted knowledge…” [Al-Quran 58:11]

“Say: ‘Are those who know equal to those who know not?’ It is only men of understanding who will remember (i.e. get a lesson from Allaah’s Signs and Verses).” [Al-Quran 39:9]

4 - To gain forgiveness of Allah SWT.

“Allaah SWT would say at the end of the gathering of those who gathered to gain knowledge, ‘Get up! You have been forgiven.’ The angels would say ‘O Allaah SWT there was a servant of yours who only came to that gathering because of a need – he only wanted a person in that gathering.’ Allaah SWT would respond ‘I have forgiven him as well.’” [Bukhari]

5 - To gain true fear of Allah SWT.

“…It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allaah…” [Al-Quran 35:28]

6 – To gain great reward.

Whoever comes to a masjid and he did not come to the masjid except with the intention that he would learn something good or teach something good, he will be given the reward of someone who performed hajj.” [At-Tabrani]

“By Allah, if a single person is guided by Allah through you, it will be better for you than a whole lot of red camels.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

7 – To gain Allah’s mercy and peace in one’s life.

“There is not a people who gather in a house from the houses of Allaah SWT (a masjid) to recite the Book of Allaah SWT or study it except that calmness will descend upon them and mercy would cover them and they would be surrounded by the angels and Allaah SWT will mention them with good to those near to Him.” [Muslim]

8 - To gain the inheritance of Rasulullah (upon him blessings and peace).

..“The learned are the heirs of the Prophets who bequeath neither dinar nor dirham but only that of knowledge; and he who acquires it, has in fact acquired an abundant portion.” [Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi]“Young men will come to you seeking knowledge, and comprehending religion, and learning from you: if they come to you teach them, and be kind to them, and make space for them in your circles, an explain Hadith to them.” Therefore, Abu Sa’id used to say to us: “Greetings to the Messenger of Allah’s recommendation, the Messenger of Allah (SAAW) ordered us to make a space for you in our circles, and explain Hadith to you.” [Jami’]

9 - To earn a special and lofty position in the eyes of Allah SWT and in Islam.

“Say: ‘Are those equal, those who know and those who do not know?’ It is those who are endued with understanding that receive admonition.” [Al Quran 39:9]

“The superiority of the learned man over the devout worshipper is like that of the full moon to the rest of the stars (i.e., in brightness).” [Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi]A learned one is as much above an (ordinary) worshiper as I am above the least of you; and he added: Allah, His angels and all those in the heavens and in the earth, even the ants in their holes and the fish in the water, call down blessings on those who instruct people in beneficent knowledge.” [Tirmidhi]“Envy is permitted only in two cases: A man whom Allah gives wealth, and he disposes of it rightfully, and a man to whom Allah gives knowledge which he applies and teaches it.” [Bukhari and Muslim]“He who does not respect our elders, and does not have mercy on our children, and does not honor our scholars, is not of my Ummah.” [Ahmad, Tabarani, Hakim, Mukhtasarat-Targhib, Jami’]“You should be a scholar, or a student, or a listener, or a lover of ‘Ilm and scholars, and you should not be the fifth which makes you perish. ‘Ata’ said, Mis’ar said to me: You added a fifth point which we do not have. The fifth point is: To hate ‘Ilm and its people.” [Tabarani, Bazzar]

10 – To be a source of guidance for other and to convey the message of Islam to others.

“Envy is permitted only in two cases: A man whom Allah gives wealth, and he disposes of it rightfully, and a man to whom Allah gives knowledge which he applies and teaches it.” [Bukhari and Muslim]“Convey from me even an Ayah [of the Qur’an].” [Bukhari]“May Allah brighten [the face of] a person who hears a hadith from us, and reports it as he heard it, because many people which the hadith is reported to, perceive it better than the one who reported it to them.” [Ibn Hibban]

11 - To know the commandments of Allah SWT.

“Seeking ‘Ilm (knowledge) is incumbant on every Muslim.” [Ibn Majah]

12 - To earn the reward of those who are guided by you.

He who calls others to follow the Right Guidance will have a reward equal to the reward of those who follow him, without their reward being diminished in any respect on that account.” [Bukhari]

13 - To gain tremendous benefit.

“Allah, His angels, the dwellers of the heaven and the earth, and even the ant in its hole and the fish (in water) supplicate in favour of those who teach people knowledge.” [Tirmidhi]The angels lower their wings over the seeker of knowledge, being pleased with what he does. The inhabitants of the heavens and the earth and even the fish in the depth of the oceans seek forgiveness for him. [Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi]“Anyone who comes to this mosque of ours in order to learn a good thing, or to teach it, is equal to the Mujahid in the path of Allah, and whoever comes for anything else, he is like a man who looks at other people’s belongings.” [Ibn Majah, Mawariduz-Zam’an]“O Abu Dharr! If you learn one verse from The Book of Allah (The Quran), it is better for you than to voluntarily pray one hundred rak’as (units of prayer), and if you learn a category of knowledge (religion), regardless if it is applied or not, it is better for you than to voluntarily pray one thousand rak’as.” [Ibn Majah, Mukhtasarut-Targhib wattarhib, Ihya ‘Ulumidden]“When you pass by the meadows of Paradise indulge freely in it! They said: O Messenger of Allah! What are the meadows of Paradise? He said: The circles of ‘Ilm.” [Tabarani, Al-Mu’jamal Kabir]“People are of substances like the substance of gold and silver: the best among them in the Jahiliyah , are the best in Islam, if they gain knowledge, and the souls are hosts which are sent around, the similar ones get acquainted, and from the different ones depart from each other.” [Muslim, Riyadhus-Salihin]

14 - Because the Ummah needs you!

“Verily, Allah does not take away knowledge by snatching it from the people, but He takes it away by taking away (the lives of) the religious scholars till none of the scholars stays alive. Then the people will take ignorant ones as their leaders, who, when asked to deliver religious verdicts, will issue them without knowledge, the result being that they will go astray and will lead others astray.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

15 - It is Fard Kifaayah.

“And the believers should not all go out to fight. Of every troop of them, a party only should go forth, that they (who are left behind) may gain sound knowledge in religion, and that they may warn their folk when they return to them, so that they may guard themselves against evil.”[Al-Quran 9:122]

16 - To serve the Deen of Allah SWT.

“He who leaves his home in order to seek knowledge, he is in Allah’s path until he returns [to his home].” [Tirmidhi, Riyadhus-Salaheen]

17 - To protect and defend the Deen of Allah SWT.

“The most honest men of future generations will carry this ‘Ilm (i.e. Hadith), they will purify it from the falsification of the extremists, and the assumptions of the liars, and the misinterpretation of the fools.” [Sharaf Ashabul-Hadith, Tabrizi, Mishkat Al-Masabih]

18 - To protect oneself from the tricks of Shaytan.

“One Faqih (Someone learned in Religious matters) is stronger against Shaytan than a thousand worshippers.” [Tirmidhi]

19 - To be amongst those who truly attest to Allah SWT’s Oneness.

“There is no god but He: That is the witness of Allah, His angels, and those endued with knowledge, standing firm on justice. There is no god but He, the Exalted in Power, the Wise.” [Al-Quran 3:18]

20 - To gain reward even after death.

“When a man dies, his deeds come to an end except for three things: Sadaqah Jariyah (ceaseless charity); a knowledge which is beneficial, or a virtuous decendant who prays for him (for the deceased).” [Muslim]

@ Shaykh Dr. Omar Hussaini, taken from his website pureway.org- May Allah reward him

Some anecdotes from the life of the Siddiq of this Ummah, Sayyiduna Abi Bakr ibn Abi Quhafa(ra):

Reaction to praise: Once, someone highly praised Abu Bakr. After the man who praised him had left, Abu Bakr prayed to God: “O Allah, You know me more than myself, and I know myself more than these people who praise me. Make me better than what they think of me, and forgive those sins of mine of which they have no knowledge, and do not hold me responsible for what they say.”

Milking goats: Before becoming the Caliph, Abu Bakr used to milk the goats of the widows in the neighborhood. When he passed through the street after becoming the Caliph, one of the widows remarked, “Now, he would not milk the goats for us”. Addressing the widows, Abu Bakr said, “No, the Khilafat will make no change. I will continue to milk your goats.”

The two lions: On an occasion when Abu Bakr was busy with the preparation of plans in connection with the campaigns in Syria and Iraq, a companion presented a case concerning his tribe for the decision of the caliph. That irritated Abu Bakr, and he said: “I am busy considering plans to crush the two lions who are waiting for an opportunity to destroy the Muslims and you are diverting my attention to petty matters.”

‘Revelations’ of Musailima: After the death of the false prophet Musailima, a deputation of Banu Hanifa waited on Abu Bakr. He inquired of them what were the teachings of the false prophet. As a specimen of his teaching they recited the following verse, which was alleged to have been revealed to him: “O frog! Holy are you. You do not prevent the drinker, nor do you make the water dirty. Half the world belongs to us, and half to the Quraish, but the Quraish are a cruel people.” On hearing this, Abu Bakr remarked: “Allah be praised. Is this the divine word? It has no sublimity of divinity. To what depths he had dragged you”.

Necklace of his sister: On the occasion of the conquest of Makkah, the necklace of his sister was wrenched from her neck by one of the horsemen. To the people assembled in the mosque, Abu Bakr said, “I call for the necklace of my sister in the name of Allah.” He repeated this three times, and when there was no response he said, “O sister, reckon upon your necklace as a present to God, for by Allah there is little of honesty among men now-a-days.”

Veterans of Badr: On one occasion, Abu Bakr was asked, “O Vicegerent of the Apostle of God, will you not employ in service those who fought at Badr?” Abu Bakr said, “I know their dignity, but I am loath to defile them with the world?”

Doing things himself: Once when Abu Bakr was riding a camel, the reins of the camel dropped from his hands. He came down from the camel to pick up the reins. He was asked why he had not asked other persons to pick up the reins for him. He said, “My Prophet(saws) has ordered me to do my things myself, and not beg anything from any human being.”

No distinction: Once Abu Bakr was sitting with a number of persons. A person came, and he said, “Peace be to you, O Caliph of the Prophet”. Abu Bakr felt irritated and said, “There is no distinction between the Caliph and other Muslims; why have you wished peace to the Caliph alone and not to the other members of the assembly?”

No train of followers: In the second year of his caliphate, Abu Bakr went to Makkah on pilgrimage. On this occasion many persons gathered around him and began to follow in his train. Abu Bakr wanted them to disperse for he did not want to be given any undue importance to himself.

Head of defeated enemy: Once a commander sent to Abu Bakr the head of the defeated enemy. Abu Bakr deprecated the practice as unlslamic. He issued instructions to all concerned that in future the heads of the defeated enemy should not be cut for dispatch to him. He urged that due respect should be shown to the dead, even though they were enemies.

Hunting of game: Once a hunter hunted a raven with large wings. It was presented to Abu Bakr. He turned it over and said, “No game is hunted and no tree is felled, save it has neglected the praise of God”.

Holding the tongue: Once in anger, Abu Bakr said something which he later regretted. He held his tongue and said, “This it is which has brought me to that to which I have come”.

More poisonous than poison: Abu Bakr was critical of women’s passion for gold and perfume. He said, “The most deadly of things, more poisonous than poison, are the two that are red, gold and saffron.”

Unfulfilled hopes: When Abdullah a son of Abu Bakr was on deathbed, he kept looking towards the cushion. When he was dead, the persons who were attending him said to Abu Bakr that at the time of death, his son had been looking towards the cushion. When the cushion was moved, some dinars were found thereunder. Seeing them, Abu Bakr wrung his hands and said, “Verily we belong to God, and to Him is our return”. Thereafter he recited the verse: “You shall not cease to announce the death of a friend until you are as he is; And verily, the youth cherishes a hope and dies without attaining it.”

His reputation and decorum: Once Abu Bakr was asked whether he ever drank wine during the days of Ignorance. He replied, “God forbid, I never touched wine even in the days of Ignorance”. He was asked “why”‘ and he said, “I sought to preserve my reputation and retain my decorum, and verily he who drinks wine destroys his reputation and his decorum”.

Joy which is not fleeting: Once the poet Labid had a sitting with Abu Bakr when he recited the verse “Is not everything but God unprofitable?” Abu Bakr said, “You have spoken truly”. Then Labid recited, “And every joy is surely fleeting”. Abu Bakr said, “This is not correct. There is with God a joy which is not fleeting.”

Freedom from accountability: Abu Bakr used to say that accountability was a great challenge for man. Once he entered a garden where he saw a ringdove sitting on a tree. Seeing the bird, Abu Bakr heaved a deep sigh, and said: “Happy you are O bird, that eats of the trees and seeks shelter beneath them, and are not called to account. Would that I were like you?”

His father’s seat: Once Abu Bakr was addressing the congregation in the mosque from the pulpit. Imam Hasan, the son of Ali came to the pulpit and addressing Abu Bakr said, “Come down from the seat of my father.” Abu Bakr said, “You speak the truth; this is your father’s seat”. He put up the child on his lap and wept. Ali intervened to say, ” This was not said at my instance”. Abu Bakr said, “I know that”.

His love for the Holy Prophet: Once, addressing the Holy Prophet, Abu Bakr said, “O Apostle of God, if you were to ask me to kill myself, I will do that.” The Holy Prophet said, “Yes, I know that. I feel proud of you.”

Distribution of the spoils of war: Whenever the spoils of war came, Abu Bakr would distribute them equally among all the people. Some of the companions suggested that he should recognize precedence in faith as a ground for preference in distribution of spoils. Abu Bakr said, “The recognition of precedence in faith is for the Lord. It is for Him to reward the piety of such persons who have excelled in faith. These gifts which I distribute are but an accident of the present life.”

Honor comes from Allah: In the second year of his caliphate, Abu Bakr went to Makkah to perform the pilgrimage and stayed there with his father Abu Qahafa. On that occasion, the notables of the city came to wait on him. Referring to these notables, Abu Qahafa said, “They are the notables of our city. Make much of them, and honor them.” Abu Bakr said, “I will certainly make much of them, but as for honor there is none save that which comes from Allah.”

Precedence for Islam: In the Battle of Badr, Abdul Rahman a son of Abu Bakr who was yet a non-Muslim fought against the Muslims. Later Abdul Rahman became a Muslim. He told his father that at the battle there were occasions when he could strike at him, but then out of love for him he turned aside. Abu Bakr said, “If I had such an occasion, you being an infidel, I would not have spared you”.

He asked his son to divorce his wife: Abdullah another son of Abu Bakr was so much lost in the love of his wife Atika that he did not participate in the battles against the non-Muslims. He even neglected his prayers. Thereupon Abu Bakr asked him to divorce his wife.

He was asked to sheathe his sword: At the Battle of Uhud, Abdul Rahman a son of Abu Bakr again fought against the Muslims. Before the battle began Abdul Rahman stepped forth from the ranks, and threw a challenge to the Muslims to let some one step forward and have a duel with him. Abu Bakr accepted the challenge, and was about to fight a duel with his son, when the Holy Prophet commanded, “Sheathe your sword and do not make us anxious about your person”.

He slapped a Jew in the face: Finhas, a Jewish rabbi said; “We are rich but your Allah is poor. We are independent of Him but He needs us, Had He been independent of us, He would not have given us interest, which He has denied to you.” Abu Bakr felt outraged at this blasphemy. He slapped the Jew in the face and said, “Were it not for the treaty between the Muslims and the Jews, I would have cut off your head O enemy of Allah.”

Fight for the Prophet: When the Muslims encamped at Hudaibiya, `Urwa b Masud came to see the Holy Prophet on behalf of the Quraish. He insinuated that at the time of crisis, the followers of the Holy Prophet were likely to abandon him. Thereupon Abu Bakr flared up and said, “May God curse you; how dare you think that we will abandon the Holy Prophet. Rest assured, we will fight to the last for him.”

Hold fast to the stirrup of the Holy Prophet: Umar regarded the treaty of Hudaibiya as humiliating to the Muslims. He saw Abu Bakr and wanted him to persuade the Holy Prophet to withdraw from the pact. Abu Bakr said, “The Holy Prophet knows things more than we do. What the Holy Prophet has done is in the interests of the Muslims. Do not be critical. Hold fast to the stirrup of the Holy Prophet.”

Judging what he did not know: In the case of the ordeal of falsehood, after God had revealed to the Holy Prophet the innocence of Ayesha, she said to Abu Bakr, “Father would you not have pardoned me if there had been no revelation.” Abu Bakr said, “What heaven would cover me, and what earth would carry me if I judged that which I did not know?”

He wanted God to forgive him: Mistah was a relative of Abu Bakr whom Abu Bakr used to pay an allowance. Mistah took active part in spreading the calumny against Ayesha. Thereupon Abu Bakr swore that he would no longer help Mistah. Thereupon the verse descended on the Holy Prophet, “Let not those in affluence swear not to aid poor kinsmen. Let them forgive. Do you not wish that God should forgive you?” Hearing this Abu Bakr restored the allowance to Mistah saying, “Yes, I wish Allah to forgive me.”

His feet became dusty in the service of God: When Usamah’s army left for Syria, Abu Bakr walked for some distance along with the army to see it depart. Usamah was riding on horseback, and he requested Abu Bakr that he should be permitted to dismount or the Caliph should also ride on a horse. Abu Bakr said, “No, neither shall you dismount nor shall I mount a horse, for according to a tradition of the Holy Prophet, he whose foot becomes dusty in the way of God will be preserved from hell fire.”

He excelled all in the matter of generosity: For the financing of the expedition to Tabuk, the Holy Prophet invited contributions from all his followers. Umar made a liberal contribution. When the Holy Prophet asked him, how much he had left for himself and his family, he said that he had given one half of his wealth for the cause of Allah and had left one half for himself and his family. Then Abu Bakr came loaded with his contribution, and the Holy Prophet put him the same question as to how much he had left for himself and his family. Abu Bakr said, “I have brought all that I had. I have left Allah and His Prophet for myself and my family”. Thus Abu Bakr excelled every one in generosity.

He anticipated Umar: It is related that a blind old woman lived in a suburb of Madina and had no one to support her. Umar used to go in disguise to the house of the old woman, but was always surprised to find that someone else had anticipated him and had supplied the wants of the old woman. One night Umar went to the house of the old woman earlier than usual and hid himself to watch as to who attended to the wants of the old lady. He had not to wait long for soon a man arrived who attended to the needs of the old woman, and this man was Abu Bakr.

Foremost in breaking glad tidings: Once in the presence of Abu Bakr and Umar the Holy Prophet said that the recitation of the Holy Quran by Ibn Masud was the most perfect, and had been approved of by God. Later, Umar went to the house of Ibn Masud to tell him of the approval of God. He thought that he would be the first man to give the glad tidings to Ibn Masud. When Umar reached the house of Ibn Masud he found that Abu Bakr had already been to the house of Ibn Masud and has informed him of the glad tidings.

Sweet dish: It is related that one of the wives of Abu Bakr once wished for a sweet dish. The Caliph said that he had no money for such a luxury. She said, “Then permit me to save something daily, and then have a sweet dish when sufficient amount has been collected”. This he permitted and in the course of a few days she saved some amount. Abu Bakr deposited the amount in the treasury. He had his daily allowance reduced by the amount of the saving, holding that if something could be saved it meant that the allowance sanctioned in his favor was excessive to that extent.

The physician: During the course of his last sickness, some companions who visited him said, “O Caliph of the Prophet, should we call a physician to examine you?” He said “The physician has already examined me”. What did he say, they asked. He said that the physician had said that he would do with the patient what he would will.

Encomium for the Prophet: During the course of his illness while looking at Abu Bakr, Ayesha recited: “That bright face whose freshness gives water to the clouds, is affectionate towards the orphans, and protects the honor of the widows.” Abu Bakr opened his eyes and said, “No, the Holy Prophet alone deserves this encomium.”

The coffin: When at the point of death, Abu Bakr desired that the two pieces of the cloth that he was wearing should be washed and used for his coffin, while the third piece could be purchased. Ayesha said that they were not so poor as to be not able to purchase all the three pieces. He said, “New pieces of cloth can be better utilized for the living than for the dead. The cloth that covers the dead body is for absorbing blood and pus only.”

One day a man was saying, I am very much impressed by Hazrat Omer (Ra) the second caliph of Islam, but since he was a non-Muslim, he said, but I do not know why such a great person became follower of Islam.

In other words, he was antagonist to Prophet of Islam (sws) but was impressed by Second Caliph of Islam.

Then a great scholar answered him that, brother, you are praising fruit but you are criticizing tree. The tree is recognized by its fruits. And all these great people like Omer, Abu Bakr, Usman, Ali, all the Sahaba and past Muslims and even today, all the great Muslims are fruits of this Tree. Prophet of Mercy (sws).

Shaykh Zulfiqar Ahmad Naqshbandi (DB) in his book “Dua- The Essence of Worship” shares a deep secret with his readers- A Secret for the acceptance of Dua. He says in his book: Some say: Hazrat we make a lot of dua’s but it is not accepted, students many times say that they are in difficulties, even the ulama’s and scholars request for dua’s. He says: I will teach my friends a secret for the acceptance of dua’s. If you practice upon it, InshaAllah, you will no longer need to search of the Isme Azam. You will see it before your eyes your dua’s being accepted just as you complete it. I have experienced this not a hundred times but a thousand times. The action is small but the results are great. The secret for the acceptance of dua’s that the author has learnt from his elders and that he has experienced thousands of times is:

Whenever a time comes in your life when you have the opportunity to commit a sin and you refrain due to fear of Allah, at that very moment, make a dua to Allah and Allah will InshaAllah, accept your dua at that very moment.

After one has refrained from a particular sin, any dua done with full faith, full trust and full humility comming from the depths of the heart should suffice for acceptance, however, we would like to share a simple general format of making dua, which InshaAllah, will complement your dua’s